Do You Pre-Treat Your SubStrate?

Mites have gotten me paranoid. I am really concerned about adding the Cypress mulch back when the time comes. I did call Zoomed and they said that none of there mulch should have mites as during the bagging and transportation process they would have been nowhere near snakes long enough for the mites to be able to survive, mites obviously need a host to survive and after about a week they die.

So my plan has been to order 4 bags of mulch - I will never get it from a petstore anymore, the risk of mites transferring from an animal to the bag is far too high. So I order them from Amazon who get the bags directly from Zoomed. This ensures the bags are PROBABLY mite free. The plan is to then store the bags nowhere near the snake but in the house so no other nasty stuff can get in. In the winter the process can be a little easier, especially up here in NJ. I will simply leave the bags outside in the snow or below freezing temps.

But I am hoping my overall thought process will prove a good one. I know I am being over cautious, but I love that little snake :) Would love to hear your thoughts.

You could bake the wood at around 150ish for a while to kill off.mites that might be in the chips. It's really up to personal preference

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I'm sorry this event has caused you to become so cautious, for as long as you're sure that the mites are no longer present in Monty's enclosure, you should be fine getting the bags of substrate from the new source. There shouldn't be any need to pre-treat the substrate.

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Originally Posted by That_One_New_Guy

You could bake the wood at around 150ish for a while to kill off.mites that might be in the chips. It's really up to personal preference

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The only problem with this is that during the baking process you scorch the pores in the wood. Since you are using cypress mulch I am assuming you have a problem with humidity. If the pores are scorched then it doesn't retain water as well. What I do is put the entire bag into the freezer for 3-4 days and let it sit inside a separate room from your reptiles for another day or two. this will ensure that all eggs, larvae, and adult mites are taken care of.

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Originally Posted by Ghost68

The only problem with this is that during the baking process you scorch the pores in the wood. Since you are using cypress mulch I am assuming you have a problem with humidity. If the pores are scorched then it doesn't retain water as well. What I do is put the entire bag into the freezer for 3-4 days and let it sit inside a separate room from your reptiles for another day or two. this will ensure that all eggs, larvae, and adult mites are taken care of.

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I like this idea - This would work well for me. Thank you!

hi Shaggy, besides the mites - i'm glad everything else is going so well with u and Monty. :)

and yes, i also freeze my substrate for a day or so and then let it thaw out before use. i freeze regardless of source - whether i buy from a pet store, online or any other retailer/source.

Got it! I think freezing is the way to go then.

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Originally Posted by ShaggyRS6

Got it! I think freezing is the way to go then.

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it's not necessary but i just like to be safe about it and nip any potential issues in the bud.

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Originally Posted by ShaggyRS6

Mites have gotten me paranoid. I am really concerned about adding the Cypress mulch back when the time comes. I did call Zoomed and they said that none of there mulch should have mites as during the bagging and transportation process they would have been nowhere near snakes long enough for the mites to be able to survive, mites obviously need a host to survive and after about a week they die.

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I use the cypress bark, and was also paranoid about having mites, so when I ordered mine I put it in a deep freezer for 3 days. It took a while to thaw, then dry out, so I would make sure you have enough to last until the new stuff is ready. (I didn't have a deep freezer, but my boss did and was fine with storing it, just in case you also don't have one)

EDIT: I didn't see all the other posts

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

I use the cypress bark, and was also paranoid about having mites, so when I ordered mine I put it in a deep freezer for 3 days. It took a while to thaw, then dry out, so I would make sure you have enough to last until the new stuff is ready. (I didn't have a deep freezer, but my boss did and was fine with storing it, just in case you also don't have one)

EDIT: I didn't see all the other posts

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Lmao. Your input is just as valid and as helpful as anyone else's, even if someone has given the same advice prior to you giving it. :P